Eat Play Sleep: Can putting Baby on a Schedule Sabotage Breastfeeding?

From before they are even born, each baby is unique.  Some are born early, some come when expected and others take their sweet time.  And that’s just the beginning.  Once they are born, we need to take the time to get to know our babies and learn their cues and preferences.  If you’re a type A personality, chances are, not knowing when you would go into labor stressed you out and the idea of not having a plan and structure for your day with your baby makes you panic.  But babies are people, and people are complex.  

Many well-meaning friends and relations like to question, criticize and offer advice about baby care, when the most important people to consult are the babies themselves.  Sleeping through the night and putting babies on a schedule sounds like the ultimate dream in theory, but it doesn’t take into account the needs of the babies.  

Human babies are considered carry mammals; they are designed to be close to their mothers and nurse frequently throughout the day and night.  Most exclusively breastfed babies nurse at least every two to three hours, sometimes going a longer stretch at night.  The interval between feeds is calculated from the start of one feed to the start of the next feed.  

It’s important to remember that babies are people and don’t naturally follow a rigid schedule.  Young babies should be eating at least every two to three hours, but many babies nurse more frequently.  Babies nurse for more than just hunger and thirst. Follow your baby’s cues and offer the breast based on his/her signal.  Making babies wait a certain amount of time before offering to nurse can put babies at risk for weight-gain struggles and can cause supply issues for moms.  

The Eat, Play, Sleep Routine & How it Relates to Breastfeeding

An Eat, Play, Sleep routine is when parents feed their babies at set times that correspond with when the baby wakes up.  There are a couple reasons why parents like this routine; it discourages falling asleep at the breast and it makes feeding more predictable because baby is on a schedule.  The downfall to this plan is that breastfeeding works best when babies are fed on demand vs scheduling feeds around other daily routines.  When babies are put on feeding schedules, supply issues and weight-gain concerns often follow.  

So what can you do instead?  Offer the breast when your baby gives hunger cues and when your breasts are feeling full.  Don’t panic if your baby wants to nurse before a nap and ends up falling asleep at the breast.  It’s biologically normal for babies to get sleepy at the breast. Often babies want to nurse when they are sleepy and when they wake up.  Trust your baby and your instincts.  Have concerns about your baby’s nursing frequency or your milk supply? We would be happy to reassure and support you!  Book a private consultation today!